The bottom line is the team has been struck with the injury bug for too long. Maybe it’s just bad luck. Maybe not. A coaching change is warranted. That’s the breaks. Allowing other teams to poach your coaching staff? It’s against the rules. Period. They knew that when they took the job. Winning teams might allow their staff to seek a higher position elsewhere. Rebuilding teams? That would really be stupid and Coach would be the first one to criticize Shanahan if he allowed his best coaches to leave, when he didn’t have too. Typical.

You couldn’t be more wrong about the 49ers blocking their assistant coaches. You have no idea how these guys feel. You know as well as anyone that these rules are in place for good reasons, and that these young assistant coaches know the deal going in. Kyle isn’t doing things any differently than most HC’s and GM’s tend to do with their most important assistants at this stage of a rebuild. Maybe these guys have earned the right to start interviewing around the league once the 49ers put together a winning season.

And come on Grant, who in the world are you to even breath the word nepitism? Who don’t you think YOU are Grant? How dare you!

And brilliant insight on the Colts over the Chiefs today Grant. Somehow you forgot it’s a QB driven league and Reid now has Mahomes as opposed to Alex fricken Smith. Kind of makes Reid’s KC playoff record irrelevent, doesn’t it? SMH!

I don’t know what it takes or how many times I have to say it. The NFL is now a QB driven league. If you have a really good one (insert Mahomes, Garoppollo, Brady, Brees, etc), life is good. If you don’t (insert Alex Smith, Blake Bortles, Kase Keenum, etc), or your really good one gets hurt early in the season (insert CJ Beathard and an undrafted free agent with zero NFL experience), life ain’t so good.

Yes, well Foles is an exception to the rule Yeast, there are always the rare exception. No, he hasn’t guided his team to the playoffs, but he’s yet to have that opportunity. However, the hype is real, and the game film doesn’t lie. jimmy Garoppolo is really good at playing QB in the NFL. It doesn’t take a genius to see it. Does it take a trained eye? Perhaps, but his record is 6 wins with 1 loss, and 1 game undetermined, on a team that, absent is availability, has a combined record of 4 wins and 24 losses, with 1 game undetermined.

When you consider the mindblowing discrepancy between the 49ers record with, and with Garoppolo at the helm, it doesn’t take a leap of faith to come to the conclusion that he’s a special talent.

Some people will look at his Passer Rating and say … “yah, he’s good, but he’s not that good”, but Passer Rating is one of the most overrated rating scales when it comes to the QB position. Take today’s playoff games. Mahomes had an 85.2 Passer Rating. Meh. Jared Goff was worse with a 74.l4 Passer Rating. Meh. Neither rating really came close to telling the story, did they?

When evaluating a QB you look for a number of qualities. First and foremost … does the QB win games. Secondly, do his players respond positively to him and his leadership. Thirdly, does he make everyone around him better? Garoppolo checks all of these boxes. And then comes the eyeball test, followed by the ability to process information he’s sees around him at a very high level, followed by pure arm talent, mobility, and then those important intangibles. Again, Jimmy G. checks all of the boxes.

NFL executives, NFL scouts, and knowledgeable NFL analysts all agree, Garoppolo appears to be a special QB. Nobody in the know believes Mullens is in Garoppolo’s league. They just don’t. While Mullens has garnered respect from knowledgeable pundits, scouts, and executives alike, it’s nearly unanimous among these groups that jimmy G is just better in every respect. He wins more often. He’s just a bit faster at processing the field, enabling him to move through his progressions at that rare, rapid pace. He has superior arm talent. He’s more mobile. And he just commands a little more respect.

Nick Mullens teammates have confidence in Nick. They have more confidence in Garoppolo. Mullens does well to command a huddle, but Garoppolo does this even better. Same with the locker room.

If there is one question about Garoppolo it’s can he stay healthy. Despite a legitimate shoulder injury and a fluke torn ACL, it’s a stretch to think he can’t stay healthy over the long haul. Time will tell whether Garoppolo can win a Super Bowl, but if you polled every GM and every team scout around the NFL, I doubt you would find more than 9 or 10 QB’s tops, who, given the same set of circumstances, would rank ahead of Jimmy Garoppolo, in the minds of those NFL talent evaluators.

when I say the 49ers are a combined 4-24 with one game incomplete. I should have said 4-25 without Garoppolo because the 49ers did lose to the Chiefs, but Garoppolo left that game in the 4th QTR, with the 49ers entering the red zone in the 4th QTR, with a chance to make it a one possession game, with plenty of time left on the clock. CJ Beathard did in fact get the team into the endzone on that drive almost immediately after Garoppolo left the game, but the TD was called back on what was, without question, a blown OPI call in the endzone. Therefore, that game has to be recorded as an incomplete game on Garoppolo’s record. No question about that, making Jimmy G a combined 6-1 with 1 incomplete, while the same team was 4-25 without him.

49,
I like Jimmy but I think we are overselling him just a bit.
Does he have arm talent, yes. Is it elite, no. He has a quick release, but he doesn’t have a cannon and deeper balls tend to sail on him due to some footwork issues he will need to correct.
Jimmy seems to process information very quickly which is a major plus for him but Mullens might process information even faster. (Mullens problem is that his arm strength is well below average, which limits the route trees the offense can run, this is what will keep him as a backup.)

The problem we have is we still haven’t seen how defenses react to Jimmy when they get a feel for his tendencies. We all know he will put the ball in danger at times… will he continue throwing at guys who are covered up by the defense or will he come off his preferred target for a safer throw?

Jimmy has a lot of positive traits but he doesn’t belong in the same sentence as Brees or even really Mahomes at this point.

Jimmy has a lot of positive traits but he doesn’t belong in the same sentence as Brees or even really Mahomes at this point.

Or even Baker Mayfield. Unless he gets badly injured, or John Dorsey suddenly begins drafting like John Lynch instead of like he has — and even if the Freddie Kitchens experiment doesn’t pan out — the Browns behind Mayfield might emerge as one of the top 5-7 top teams in the NFL before too much longer.

Andy Reid is legendary coming off of a bye, and his offense is putting on a clinic with this young star at QB.

I gave the Colts a chance because they were red hot, and I thought their run game would make a difference. But to write Andy Reid’s record coming off of a bye, and his playoff record with Alex Smith, who even Jim Harbough realized wasn’t a even a decent playoff QB, kind of an oversight.

Can I just point out the humor in that, part of Grant Cohn’s brilliant analysis for picking the Colts today was that “the Chiefs are now a one dimensional team” without Kareem Hunt (yet Damien Williams has the same average YPC as Hunt since taking over for him) and in today’s game, it ends up that the Chiefs won easily despite the fact that Mahomes didn’t throw a single TD pass, and only averaged 6.8 YPA, which might both be career lows for Mahomes.

He did, and I remember those games. The Niner offense would score points, and even have a lead, but at the end of the 4th quarter, the Niner defense would fail to stop the other team, and the Niners lost.
.
Deberg’s misfortune was that Joe was drafted by the Niners, and even he could see how great Joe was. He accepted his demotion with grace, and moved to KC.

The Chiefs are showing why great talent is so important, especially at the QB position. Great talent and a mediocre coach can win in the NFL, not that Andy is mediocre. Anything but. In general. A great coach and mediocre talent aren’t doing anything in the NFL. To think otherwise is obtuse. :)

Luck looks terrible this game. He seems tentative, his throws lack zip, he’s trying to guide the ball instead of making a confident throw, and easy short throws he is underthrowing. It’s not the Colt’s defense that is losing this game up to this point; although they have to be exhausted from being on the field so much. Vinatieri isn’t helping that’s for sure.

Even the Rams, for all of Aaron Donald’s greatness, don’t get a lot of production rushing off of the edge, and it’s one reason their defense isn’t nearly as good as people expected. They tried to address it with Fowler midseason, but he’s extremely inconsistent!

They absolutely must improve the edge position, but I am starting to think it doesn’t necessarily need to be with the 49ers 1st round pick. If they get a pretty good guy (or 2) in FA, they can maybe wait until round 2 to draft an edge.

Do you think one of the reasons good options will be available is because this is a strong draft year for pass rushers? So teams can replace aging, expensive pass rushers with younger, cheaper pass rushers with an expected minimal dropoff in performance.

Yes, absolutely cubus. Guys that teams would otherwise try very hard to keep they may let go and look to replace through the draft.

Trey Flowers and Dante Fowler will also likely be available.

Mid, I think Graham fits as a DE in nickel perfectly, which is what really matters. And if the team thought Armstead or Thomas could play Leo in base I see no reason they wouldn’t think Graham could either.

That could be true Scooter, and it could work out well. I’ve considered this strategy, but my question is …. can they afford to take that risk Scooter, if they consider Allen a blue chip talent and believe Allen is absolutely the best edge rusher on the board at #2, and worthy of a top 3-5 pick, value wise?

I personally think that’s too big of a risk if they truly believe in Allen, and they will get a chance to work with him up close and personal during the Senior Bowl, so they should have a very good idea of just how talented the kid is, and how well he fits at the LEO. I personally think he is an absolutely perfect fit, and only the slightest bit behind Bosa in terms of talent and fit.

I truly think both Bosa and Allen will be game changers for this defense, and add more wins to their win total over the next few years than any other scenario.

Cubus,
I don’t buy this at all.
The last time the team went with a guy who they thought was the best player available who didn’t really fit a need, they drafted Solomon Thomas.

The problem with drafting such players is that even if they just fall short of expectations… they don’t improve the team at all. Guys that are drafted at positions of strength basically have to be all pro’s just to improve the roster with any significance. Whereas If the team just drafts a solid starter on the edge he significantly improves the team.

If Williams is the guy that is clearly different and you can’t separate your edge rushers… you trade back and get anything to move back a few spots… then get either Allen, Polite, or Ferrell. Still need to check more of Burns tape apparently he bulked up this past season and carries the weight well. I’ll need to check his combine measurements before I’m sold on him. Oddly enough Allen, who is currently my top edge prospect for this team also is very combine dependant for me and could easily drop if his cone drill or strength don’t measure up. While with Burns my number 1 concern is his weight and strength.

Highly doubtful. If he is he should be a priority. But even if he and a few of the bigger names (e.g. Clowney) aren’t available, there should be some decent options the 49ers should be prioritizing in FA.

The only caveat to grabbing a DB with our second pick would be if Cody Ford was still available when we select in the 2nd round. I’d sprint to the podium to turn that pick in.

I’d also consider finding the first team that would take our second and Solomon Thomas off our hands to move back into the first round to grab Ford if necessary. Ford would be a nice consolation prize to missing out on Nelson last year.

NFL is becoming unwatchable. The hometown calls are maddening. That running into the kicker call was ridiculous. The d lineman in front of Quentin Nelson has had at least 6 illegal hands to the face that were not called. Really difficult to watch when officials have as much to do with the outcome as the players.

Yeah, interesting how Shanahan gets blamed for all of the 49ers woes but gets no credit for assembling a nice coaching staff.
Seems to me that other teams value the 49ers regime more than fans here do.

This Chiefs- Colts game showed how shaping an opponent makes victory so easy.
.
Colts should have run the ball to start the game. Reid stacked the box and dared Luck to pass. Colts unwittingly obliged, and Reid schooled them.
.
Bet they sure do not miss AS. Mahomes had a funky delivery, going side arm, but he made it work.
.
I fully admit I was way off on this game. Thought Luck would perform better. Reid also shaped their offense. He controlled the edges, and planted a D lineman in front of Luck, who had 10 tips it seemed.
.
Frank Reich kinda reminded me of the old Bills, in scheme and performance.
.
Reid sure knew how to finish off that game.

Who to root against the most; Cowboys or Rams?
Hate Cowboys more, but Rams are in the division. Too bad they both can’t lose.
So I want the Rams to lose tonight and the Cowboys to lose next week.
It would be nice to see the Rams surrender a big lead.
Either way one will lose tonight. It is a good day.

“The Los Angeles Rams are headed to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 2002. They beat the Dallas Cowboys 30-22 on Saturday behind an enormous rushing effort from C.J. Anderson and Todd Gurley. Each running back surpassed 100 yards rushing, and they combined for 238 yards.”

“This is a notable achievement, marking the first time teammates have each surpassed 100 rushing yards in a playoff game since Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore did it in the 2013 divisional round against the Green Bay Packers. Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards and Gore rushed for 119 yards.”

Well, I told my son in law (a huge rams fan) that Talib and Peters weren’t the same players that they were a couple of seasons ago.
Talib was a step slower and no longer wanted to tackle and Peters was a hot head that would hurt his team at some point this season.
They did not look like world beaters today and nearly cost their team with mediocre play.

These two are a liability waiting to happen and it may come next week.
Whether they go against Foles or Brees it will be much harder then Prescott.

McVay got to the NFCCG before Shanahan but ultimately I think Shanny will make more than McVay. Kind of wild with the 49er connections to those 2 coaches. Also, Kind of wild that McVay is the “Owner of the Dallas Cowboys.” I guess some Rams fan is a Wiki contributor.

Grant – If your facts are correct, I don’t disagree with anything you said about Kyle blocking his assistants. But how do you know it was Kyle’s decision? Steve Jobs engineered an illegal informal agreement with other tech companies to not attempt to employ each other’s engineers lest their salaries be bid up. This could have been a decision made by bean counters and not football people. The only fact we have now is that SOMEONE blocked the interviews from taking place. I don’t see how we necessarily jump to the conclusion it was Kyle’s decision.

Jed made the wrong choice–it was McVay all along. He was in their office and they let him go. As soon as he was out, the Rams pounced. Now they’re stuck with the self-appointed genius without any heart.

Inside the 49ers should actually come with facts if they’re going to bash a mans character as to why his coaches won’t be getting an interview.
Grant do you know for sure his coaches and he talked about it?
Do you know for sure they want to stay because maybe they think they’re involved in a winning program for the future?
Do you know if they don’t want to leave due to family?
Do you know if they don’t want to go to learn more for their future?
Do you know if there was an agreement beforehand for an X amount of years before they can interview?

How inside are you to this franchise Grant?
My God you sound like a bitter bride to be left at the altar.
Conspiracy after conspiracy.
Bashing and more bashing.
Nothing wrong with calling the play on the field like it is, but you find any way to discredit coaches and players week after week from a team that allows you to cover them with special passes and credentials.
And it’s 90 percent negative opinion. Virtually nothing factual.

And I find it ironic YOU of all people would bring up how someone got their career started due to their daddy.

I get it you won’t change how you do things, but have you ever thought of being your own writer, reporter or journalist?
Rather than follow in your dads footsteps?
Is your dream to become bigger than your dads legacy?
You need a lot of work to truly become respected by your peers and readers who want news on the team. Not last page Sunday paper opinion columns written by a hack who never played the sport in their life.
You have some growing up to do.
Before someone catches you away from the safety of your video camera and laptop.

Ask Matt Barnes how he feels about a certain loud mouth announcer trashing him in Sacramento.
I hope you grow to be better than this Boy.

Again, when rebuilding a team, that includes the staff. You don’t let other teams poach your coaching staff, especially when they are obviously good coaches or the other teams wouldn’t be interested. Duh. Secondly, the NFL makes the rules and one rule is that teams do not have to allow their coaches to interview for positions other than Head Coach. Maybe after the team wins the SB they will allow. Until then, nope. If they were stupid enough to allow, Coach/GM GC would be condemning Kyle for being ignorant. Coach picks subjects where he can criticize Kyle either way. Kind of like his arguments that he should have passed when he ran, or he should have ran when he passed. (eye roll)

Thanks for the post Juan. It’s refreshing to see someone else call out Grant for the little games he plays. You hit the nail on the head with Grant’s little game of playing a subject both ways. This way, the subject of his ire is damned if they do, and damned if they don’t. Grant’s style is both immature and unprofessional.

And the gall …. when Grant brought up the subject of nepotism, I literally spit out my coffee in shocked disbelief. Pot, let me introduce you to Kettle. SMH!

Grant acknowledged that he benefited from his father. He also went on to mention how after receiving that benefit it is important to do the same for others. He says that because it is something that he has done.

Shanahan literally gave these guys jobs for multiple years and you’re insinuating he hasn’t done anything for these coaches? Wow. You’re a true genius. You and Grant need to work on your logic & reasoning. It’s seriously flawed.

Today’s games are much tougher to pick IMHO. So far through the playoffs I’m 9 of 12. 5 of 6 vs the spread and 4 of 6 vs the O/U’s. 2-0 yesterday in Coach’s “I can pick a winner” without the spread sweepstakes. lol

Morning Game;

LAC +4 at NE (47 1/2)
Wow, what to do. New England is the Chargers daddy, though there seems to be a slight dent in the armour these days. Weather is clear to partly sunnny and cold as an MF’r!! LA is 8-1 on the road, and NE is 8-0 at home. Some money is going on LA. Point spread has dropped a point from 5 to 4. Chargers defense is the real deal, ranked 9th, evenly balance between run (9) and pass (9). Patriots offense is ranked (5th) overall, though the defense is (21st). Belichick doesn’t lose much when he has 2 weeks to prepare for team. Hmmm, well, can’t over analyze this one. This is a hunch bet. Usually when I think NE is finally going to lose they win, so.
I’m taking NE -4 and the under (47 1/2)
NE 26 LAC 21 (the oddsmakers will prove to be right on the money with the original spread and the O/U)

Afternoon game;

PHI -8 at NO (52 1/2)

Another tough one. New Orleans would seem to be the clear pick here, even with the spread being that large after they thoroughly dismantled the Eagles 48-7 in November, but Philly has that playoff magic. They’ve split their other four meetings since 2009. New Orleans always plays great at home it seems. Money is definitely going in the Eagles direction as the spread has dropped from 10 to 8, as has the O/U increased from 51 to 52 1/2. Eagles will have to pass their way to victory as the Saints are stout (2) against the run but only (29) against the pass. The game is in Nick’s hands. Overall the Saints are better both offensively and defensively, statistically speaking (you know what I think about statistics :) The eagles pass defense is not good, ranking (30), though the run D is very good (7). Another hunch game. This one will be close.
I’m taking PHI +8 and the over (52 1/2)
NO 31 PHI 24

On a side note Coach picked NO vs JAC in the Super Bowl. I picked NE vs SF. We can still get a team there and maybe, just maybe it will be NO vs NE! Wouldn’t that be a hoot.

Well, I was way off on the first game, but the Rams proved to be 2 scores better than the Cowboys.
.
I hope the Chargers can take car of business. They are led by Anthony Lynn, who I advocated for just after Chip and Baalke were fired. I hope Ingram has a monster game and convinces Brady to retire. Chargers 24-16.
.
In the second game, Brees will slice and dice the secondary, but Kamara should also have a good game. Like in the Chiefs game, the Chiefs secondary was rated low, but that is because the Chiefs built up big leads and the other teams had to pass to try to catch up. NO was the same way. Other teams abandoned the run to try and catch up,I am hoping for a repeat of the November game. Saints 31- 17.
.
Juan, your Kegerator seems like it is a sure bet !

I’m dying to know what it is that Garrett has on JJ. Garrett is the biggest obstacle holding back that team and yet he’s about to get an extension. God knows I’m no Cowboys fan but Dak deserves better.

or maybe he doesn’t feel there isn’t anyone qualified to run his system
or maybe ‘they’ don’t want to go (yet) this makes it easier on them then a flat turndown.
or he is trying to retain stability for the team that really needs it.

A couple of other reasons could be that he does not feel like they are ready to be coordinators and believes that they would be put in a situation where they could be fired easily or be a coordinator in name only.

I think interviewing, even if not the number one candidate, is a big positive because it will look good on their resume, and it will give them experience so they will be able to learn and benefit from them. In the future when they get another interview, the previous ones will help.

I don’t know Jack, but maybe it’s because those are the rules and these are grown men who knew the rules and knew what they were signing up for in advance. And maybe it’s better for the league to have these rules in place, which most people think is the case?

Or better yet …. how about these assistant coaches, at the very least, help coach their current team to, I don’t know, maybe they should achieve a winning fricken record before they start prematurally living off of Kyle’s coat tails, and simply using Kyle Shanahan as a springboard, without actually yet achieving success, or anything worth bragging about in Santa Clara other than having coached under the great offensive mind of Kyle Shanahan?

Is a winning record too much for fans to ask of their favorite team’s assistant coaches before these assistant coaches start jumping ship, simply because they have now coached under the great Kyle Shanahan(even though there is no guarantee that leaving now is better for their careers in the long run than sticking around and living up to their current contracts), rather than actually achieving something of significance with the 49ers first, before simply using the fact that they have coached under Kyle Shanahan as a springboard?

Is that really too much to ask Jack? I think not! Maybe they ought to get something accomplished with the 49ers first before they start taking advantage of the simple fact that they have lived off of Kyle’s coat tails over the last couple years!

I noticed Seb! I was actually disappointed! You know, the whole “moth to a flame” thing. It’s OK though, since I’m in the position of being right that he would never play another down in the NFL, at least so far. But “Hope springs eternal” so you may have retribution at some point. Doubtful but anything is possible. Good luck! ;-)

+1000 Under. He has the “good ones” already, obvious by the interest from other teams. Can you imagine the coaching carousel there would be without that rule. How about getting promoted within the team? What a concept. Great point regarding wanting to leave. Coach and others are assuming, when they don’t really know, that these guys want to leave. You know, the negative narrative. The bash Kyle at every turn crowd. I get the feeling that if Kyle had allowed his coach(s) to interview these same detractors would be criticizing him for it.
Keeping your staff intact creates continuity, something important in building a successful staff and ultimately the team. Folks that have actually coached a team would know that.

Brady cutting thru the vaunted Chargers D like warm knife thru butter. Meanwhile on the other side, the tired predictable run by Whizz is taking its toll in the cold on the road. Can’t believe this guy still has a job. A predictable power running game and a 5-7 step Coryell offense on every play — at least Norv Turner has adapted that offense to be functional in the modern NFL.

So how are those ballyhooed pass rushers doing in the post season? While they rack up dozens of sacks in the regular season, good offenses appear to find a way to scheme around them in post-season by taking advantage of other match ups.

Jim Harbaugh would be proud of the toughness with which the Pats are playing.

Yah, it’s too bad Brown was such a piss poor fit for the 49ers, and will probably battle weight and conditioning issues throughout his career.

ShanaLynch should have gotten more in return for Brown though, but I guess that’s a price worth paying in order to forge a great working relationship with the person who served up your franchise QB on a silver platter, Patriots’ hall of fame coach and de facto General Manager – Bill Belichick. The Patriots got a very sweet deal with Brown, but I think most people believe the 49ers got the sweeter deal with Garoppolo. History will judge!

This power running game punctuated with some inside zone runs works to Brown’s strength. Nice how the Pats changed their offense to compensate for Brady’s slowdown and take advantage of Michel’s addition….

Joey Bosa is very good, but he’s a bit overrated. He’s a high effort guy that is good against both the run and pass with good technique, size and athleticism for his size. In the Chargers D, which is the same type of system as the 49ers, he basically plays the big end role. Melvin Ingram is the Leo.

I think we can all agree Nick Bosa’s best player comp is his brother. This is where I find it a tad odd just how badly some people want Nick Bosa, but are against Q Williams. When healthy he will be good, I don’t question that. But he, like his brother, would be best suited to the big end spot (though I am sure the 49ers would probably try him at Leo in base like they do Thomas). But the big end spot is where they already have a bunch of guys capable of playing that spot. In fact, its the same guys that Williams would be competing with at DT (Thomas, Armstead, Blair, etc). Bosa would be an upgrade at that spot. Williams would also be an upgrade at his spot.

The spot the 49ers really have no good players is at the Leo/ Otto roles.

“Would you say a 6-foot-5, 280-pound guy would be a typical Leo? No, not on the sheet of paper, but this guy’s different — he breaks the mold. Could he [Bosa] play Leo? Yes. It’s going to look a little bit different, but what you’re looking from that position is production. He had 10.5 sacks in 12 games. The whole Leo was designed for guys to get a lot of opportunities to have good rushes. And so you need him to be productive.”

“Nick has a premier get-off and explosive burst at the snap that Joey simply doesn’t possess to the same degree.”

“It’s clear in these two clips that Nick is just a different, more fluidly explosive athlete than his older brother.”

“While Joey also possesses this lean, Nick’s added explosiveness makes his leverage even more deadly because he gets on tackles so quickly from his stance.”

“While both have great motors, Nick’s is better. He also has a higher ceiling at winning his individual matchup in big-on-big situations with his first move at the next level than what we’ve seen with Joey, who profited from six sacks that were attributable to mop-up duty or the benefit of designed pressure or stunt and not his first move.”

Actually, Joey is more than a little bigger and I think Nick is more than a little quicker, IMO. Joey is at least an inch, maybe two inches taller and probably 20 lbs heavier than his younger brother. Joey’s quick for 285-290 lbs, but Nick is a different animal off of the edge, so other than they both have similar facial features, and mechanics, I really think it’s a lazy comparison.

We’ll see at the combine, but 265 lbs compared to 285 lbs, is a big difference for edge defenders.

Joey Bosa was 6’5″ 269lbs when he came out of college. Maybe he has put 10lbs of weight on since then as per his NFL.com profile, maybe he hasn’t. Nick is expected to be around 6’4″ 265lbs. There isn’t much difference in size between the two coming out of college. Like Joey (and most players), Nick will likely add a bit of weight in the NFL once he enters an NFL strength and conditioning program.

They aren’t a significantly different “animal” off the edge either. They both have a lot of similar traits in how they play.

“Bosa, 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, is listed as a right end and Ingram as a “Leo,” or a pass rushing left end. But listing doesn’t make it so, and there will be times when the two switch sides or even line up on the same side to confuse pass blocking schemes.”

Even if you’re right and he plays Big End, none of guys that we already have to play the position can win off the edge and get to the QB on passing downs.

I’m not necessarily pigeon-holing him, just pointing out that his brother, who quite rightly a lot of people compare him too, plays in the same scheme the 49ers run and he plays big end. It is likely the spot Nick would also be best suited to.

Yes, Nick would be an upgrade as a pass rusher at the big end spot. But big end isn’t the biggest need on this DL. Its the Leo spot that is really weak. I think arguments against taking Q Williams because they already have good DTs should also apply to some degree to Bosa. The big end options are ok. The DT options next to Buckner are ok.

In saying all that, if they draft Bosa my expectation is they would try and make him the Leo. They tried to do that with Armstead and Thomas so I don’t see why they wouldn’t try it with him. And he’d be much better at it than either Armstead or Thomas.

Agree with everyone watching Brown destroy Bosa. Louis Riddick just posted that Trent Brown is 25 and making $1.9m per year. And we traded him because…”he didn’t fit Kyle’s scheme!” Lol. That scheme argument is so ridiculous…what it really means is that Kyle’s scheme is too rigid to accommodate pure talent!

I get the system thing, especially with the outside zone. But I would think Lynch could have held out for a better deal.

It was Brown+143 for Pats 95. That’s Brown for the equivalent of the 8th pick of round 4.

Yes, Brown was on his last season. But he could have been…
– Shopped post draft.
– Retained 2018, franchise tagged for 2019 at $14m and shopped.
– Retained for all of 2018 only. But possible 3rd or 4th round compensatory pick.

I’m not hating the trade. Nothing was guaranteed if Lynch rejected the Pats offer. Just wishing we got more.

I didn’t want to post a treatise, but there are of course certain players you want for certain things. Saleh’s system works with big DBs that can press, have reach, etc.. I get it. But it borders on the fascistic as certain players who are talented and can really play, aren’t considered, because they don’t fit the scheme or the system.

BTW Brodie, I don’t dissagree with you. Trent Brown was never going to work in Kyle’s system, and he was going to demand a huge contract, so there was a need to move him. But, it sure seemed that he was worth more than what the 49ers got in return, IMO.

Would you agree that the 49ers were likely returning the favor, while trying to cultivate the kind of relationship with Belichick that could pay off with future personnel transactions as long as Belichick is still running the Patriots?

Like I said, I do agree that ShanaLynch should have gotten more for Brown. That said, it seems reasonable to assume ShanaLynch did this for Belichick to return the favor so to speak, and to continue their working relationship with one of the league’s all time great HC/GM’s. And I am certainly good with that.

But let’s be real about Brown. Trent Brown severely limited the 49ers ability to run the ball last season because he simply can’t do what the OT needs to do in Kyle’s outside zone scheme. And no, you don’t change your entire scheme to fit one player who has weight and conditioning issues (the first day Kyle got his chance to work with Brown he was grossly out of shape) and is on the last year of his contract and likely to demand a huge new contract. There was zero chance the 49ers were going to resign Brown because he hindered so much of what Kyle wants to do with his run game and the price was going to be very steep.

And sure enough, the guy they drafted to replace Brown, did wonders for the running game, held up very well in the passing game, and is a foundation piece for this offense moving forward.

Grant has become such a tedious bore with his incessant criticism of everything Kyle Shanahan does. Honestly, at this point, do any of us think Grant Cohn wouldn’t find a way to criticise Kyle Shanahan for helping an old lady cross a busy street?

Grant’s borish, predictable, non-stop criticism reminds me of a quote from this famous Greek philosopher:

“Criticism is something we can easily avoid by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” – Aristotle

Tedious bore? Look in a mirror.
.
Grant is edgy, and gets to the heart of the matter.
.
He looks at a 4-12 team and calls it like he sees it.
.
I am not the only poster on this site that composes lengthy dissertations.

Who threw his coaches under the bus, Kyle? You mean his Strength & Conditioning Coach and Athletic Trainer? What should he have done with them after placing 41 players on injured reserve since the start of 2017 …. given them a raise?

This is exactly the kind of disingenuous and misplaced criticism I’m talking about.

Maybe Kyle should have fired himself and let his Strength & Conditioning Coach run the team, hah Seb?

No, KS, by disallowing his coaches to interview, is hindering their career advancements.
.
Thankfully, KS had a change of heart and is allowing Scangarello to interview, so he is no longer throwing him under the bus.
.
Yes, KS should fire his OC and promote one of his assistants in order to retain them.

Mid, he did block an interview, but the pushback made him change his mind, and now, he is allowing Scangarello to be able to be interviewed.
.
Do not blame me for him blocking, and I am praising him for allowing the interview.
.
I just think it would not look churlish if he allowed Matt to interview his brother Mike.

Yes, that is true, but that is beside the point. The fact is, KS blocked the interview, and now he is allowing it.
.
I am sure the howls of protest had something to do with it, but will also concede that the legacy of Bill Walsh may have had a lot to do with it, too. Maybe Denver is eyeing Mullens and wants to do a package deal. I am just giving my opinion, and some day, Scangarello will tell us exactly how this all came down, so we all will know the truth.
.
The main premise is, that they are perfectly fine to block lateral moves, but when it is a big promotion, it is churlish to stymie a career advancement.

Mid, this aint a court of law, but a blog site. Speculation is allowed, even without talking directly with KS.
.
You also do not know what exactly happened, so until you do, maybe you should tone down the snark. I may be exactly right, and you cannot deny that he was originally blocked, then ultimately allowed to interview, after hearing the pushback on his decision.

Nothing that you said is a counterargument to my pointing out that you are making a conclusion without facts to back it up. It does not matter if this is a court of law or a blog site; if you make a claim, you have to have something to back it up with.

In America, one is innocent until proven guilty.
.
Maybe you should cite your proofs before declaring I am wrong.
.
I made an assertion that KS blocked Scangarello from interviewing, and now is allowing Scangarello to interview. Please disprove those facts.

You declared John Lynch guilty of crap in regards to Foster recently without him being proven as such, so don’t even try to pull that card out of your butt and use it.

I made an assertion that KS blocked Scangarello from interviewing, and now is allowing Scangarello to interview. Please disprove those facts.

I never once challenged that because it is indeed a fact. What I am challenging is your assertion that Shanahan is hindering his coaches. There is no evidence to support or refute it, ergo it is a baseless assumption.

Mid, there is also something in America called Free Speech. Jl did disavow any knowledge of the cops being called by a neighbor to stop a Foster screaming match with his gf, then we hear that the Niners intervened, and told the cops she was a crazy, vengeful gf who had accused RF before.
.
How cute, pulling the comment out of his rear end screed, is just parroting me. I used that first with Baalke.
.
I submit to you, that KS did hinder Scangarello by blocking him. That is bona fide evidence. By allowing him to interview, KS is correcting his mistake, but he was blocked, even if you do not want to believe that, or consider that a hindrance to a career advancement.

Link is not posting, so I will give a synopsis of the article I was trying to show you guys. The 49ers have let go of DL coach Zgonina, and there is growing speculation that the 49ers want to bring back Tomsula who is reportedly one of three assistant coaches that want out of Washington.

Philly +8 is a winner!! Unfortunately the O/U’s were the killers as usual, and why they are called a bookies best friend! Still fun and challenging to bet them. Finished the first two playoff weekends 10 for 16. In the black and that’s what counts! Oh, and for added measure, 4-0 in Coach’s “I can predict the winner” without the spread sweepstakes. That would be 100%. How did you do Coach? LOL
On to next weekend. The coffers are filling nicely.

Home teams -3 next week……… I am going Saints and KC, but I am happy the top 4 advanced. My only miss is Chicago after the tip, and 6-2 ats (NO would have covered if Kamara didn’t get tripped up within that last minute too)

No he’s not right. He’s a hindsight critic like Grant is most of the time. First off he didn’t fit the blocking scheme and for Shanahan’s offense to work they need to use the zone blocking scheme. Second, there is zero evidence that a wink wink deal was made with Belichick. If they could have gotten more for Brown from somebody else they would have, but Brown didn’t have a whole lot of value coming off of a season in which he missed a bunch of games with injury.

Brown is doing well in NE, good for him, but he wasn’t a fit in SF and they wound up getting somebody who fit the scheme much better in the draft and have had a lot of success – especially in the running game – because of it.

Yep. Bottom line was they had concerns about his health due to the shoulder issues he had during their season with him and he didn’t fit the blocking scheme.

When you take over a team and start a rebuild, the idea is to acquire players who fit what you want to do. Now I’m reading some posts about how they should have changed what they wanted to do to fit the players they had. It makes no sense on any level.

I shook my head. My feeling was that in McGlinchey and Brown they had their two tackles of the future, and that in the short term having McGlinchey play RG, Brown RT, and then moving them to LT and RT by moving on from Staley when his contract is up was the way to go.

Firm believer in keeping your best players and finding ways to make them successful instead of shipping them off because they « don’t fit the scheme »

Ok I don’t remember you or anyone else being against the trade but I’ll take your word for it.

I still don’t see it as a bad move by the team though. The object of a rebuild is to put together a roster that fits what you want to do. Brown didn’t and they got some value for him. Nothing wrong with that and using it as a way to criticize via hindsight is weak imo.

I have news for you Jack, you may be still living vicariously in the 1980’s, but the NFL has changed. Thankfully, for the sake of the 49ers rushing attack, ShanaLynch are living in the present, and couldn’t give 2 shi_s about this niggling, hypercritical nonsense from you and Grant, and a clear minority of the team’s fan base.

The funny thing is, I doubt the Patriots are even going to resign the talented, but often lazy, underachieving, inflexible, one dimensional OT. The Patriots will have 2 other talented OT’s on the field who are signed through 2021, once Wynn returns next season. And trust me, the Patriots are also well aware of Brown’s chronic weight & conditioning issues. Tell us how foolish ShanaLynch are if the Patriots end up letting the “great” Trent Brown walk end of the season, which I am betting they do, rather than doling out top dollar for Brown. Meanwhile, the 49ers will wisely build their OL around their young pillar at RT, who also happens to be, unlike Brown, a mature, team leader whom the rest of the offense looks up to.

The 49ers run game improved by leaps and bounds by replacing Brown with McGlinchey, and the 49ers pass protection didn’t suffer one bit either. Don’t take my word for it, take a look at how much more productive the 49ers run game was with McGlinchey at RT. And if you don’t trust statistics, take a look at PFF’s grades, where the rookie smoked the veteran this season.

I haven’t heard a single respectable NFL analyst claim the 49ers made a mistake by replacing Brown with McGlinchey, and I doubt we ever will! The numbers and production simply don’t bare that out. And you’d be hard pressed to find one who wouldn’t rather trade a 2nd round pick for a franchise QB, as opposed to whatever the Patriots gave up for a LT who, despite his potential, has chronic conditioning issues and, despite his freakishly big frame, is yet to light the world on fire 4 years into his pro career.

Didn’t Walsh generally prefer smaller, more agile linemen because they were better at pulling, etc in his offense? Yet somehow he made it work with Bubba.

« I haven’t heard a single respectable NFL analyst claim the 49ers made a mistake by replacing Brown with McGlinchey »

My comments have nothing to do with that. They are about him being traded. Staley, Tomlinson, Richburg, McGlinchey, Brown is the way I would have gone, and then in 2020 you have Brown, Tomlinson, Richburg, Pick/FA, McGlinchey.

« couldn’t give 2 shi_s about this niggling, hypercritical nonsense from you »

Yet for whatever reason you constantly take the time to write long drawn out responses to my comments.

Just face the facts, you need my comments, you want my comments, my comments feed you and keep you going. LOL

People who are a lot smarter than me say, never get rid of a player until you KNOW you have a better replacement. With Brown you hear a lot of coulda shoulda woulda but anyone who says he is not a good player and especially yesterday played a significant role in the Patriots win don’t know the game. Bottom line is the 49ers got rid of good player hoping to find a better one and so far have failed. Try to remember hope is not a plan. Yeah maybe down the road Brown will be difficult to deal with but remember my first sentence.

They drafted his replacement and then traded him. He didn’t fit. They brought in somebody else. They traded him away. I don’t get what is so hard to understand here.

I also disagree with your premise that they didn’t find a better player. McGlinchey is a much better fit for this blocking system. They had Brown the previous year so it’s not like they didn’t give him a chance. He is not a zone blocking OT so they went out and got one.

Rocket – It’s not that hard to understand my position. I posted after a comment by Jack where he said “Staley, Tomlinson, Richburg, McGlinchey, Brown is the way I would have gone”. That makes more sense to me than what we got. Maybe Brown did not fit the ideal prototype but the question is when do you make the move. McGlinchey is good and has future potential but got eaten alive at RT a few too many times. A few more wins this year and maybe things become more clear for the future. The 49ers and you have been too quick to assume that their moves are improvements and their record doesn’t support it. They took a draft pick for a pig in the poke because Brown’s contract is up next year. Let’s see who the pig is before we jump to conclusions. By the inch is a cinch and by the yard is hard. Keep hoping even if hoping is not a plan.

I don’t think Brown at RT and McGlinchey at RG would have been better than what we had. In fact it possibly would have been worse. McGlinchey had never played Guard and Brown as has been pointed out repeatedly, doesn’t fit the blocking scheme, especially in the run game where McGlinchey excelled this year at RT. McGlinchey was not one of the major reasons we lost games. He struggled at times but overall he had a very strong year and will only get better. Brown was not a fit. That is the bottom line. They had him for 11 games the previous year and came to that conclusion. If they had gone into the season without a decent replacement I’d understand all the whining a little more, but they replaced him with a better option for the scheme who is also younger and won’t need a new contract for sometime, unlike Brown.

The 49ers and you have been too quick to assume that their moves are improvements and their record doesn’t support it.

Cute and not remotely true. There have been a number of moves I wasn’t a fan of but trading Brown wasn’t one of them. It made sense then and still does now. This is just complaining for the sake of complaining. If you really want to complain about the OL, you should be complaining about them not improving the interior because that is where they struggled.

And yet he held his own when forced to play guard in the second half against Minnesota, in his first NFL regular season start.

Held his own for a half is a lot different than playing it full time. He had never played the position before and his play at RT was very good overall. To suggest the combination of a rookie playing a position he never has before next to an immobile RT who struggles in the system is a better option, is a big time reach.

Nah. Moving from tackle to guard is an easier move than the other way around, and they would have been set at the tackle spots for the foreseeable future. Now they are in a spot they’ll have to spend another draft pick on a tackle either this year or next and hope he’s as good as what they traded away.

Lol. Brown doesn’t fit the scheme Jack. They didn’t want him short or long term. They drafted McGlinchey because he did fit what they wanted to do. Why would they move him inside to a position he never played in his life to keep a guy they didn’t want? The guy who replaces Staley will likely be McGlinchey and they’ll draft another guy or sign somebody who is similar to him and vastly different from Brown.

Coach speak as you well know. Doesn’t do much for the trade market or the players self esteem if you say anything different. In the end actions speak louder than words and they needed a more mobile OT to run the ball the way Shanahan wants to. If it were just about pass protection, Brown would have been a great fit; it’s not and he wasn’t.

That’s true but the Eagles offense is suspect with Foles, and ya I know he has had a run….lets see what they do against the Rams and see how the Rams D holds up against Breeze. Same thing in the AFC see what the D’s can do to thwart these high powered offense.

The Saints had the 14th ranked defense for the season. The other 3 teams in the final four are ranked 19th, 21st, and 31st. One team (Patriots) cracked the top ten in points allowed. It’s an offense first league and that has never been more evident than with this final four.

Correct MWS, why would Grant retweet this idiotic post? Does this seem like something a non biased beat reporter would do? Such a dumb tweet 6 days to Sunday!

Here’s the dumb post:

Example of a poorly run franchise: trade a starting left tackle to the best team in foot ball as a wink wink deal in exchange for an unproven injury prone quarterback and give that quarterback a huge deal. Trent Brown thank the 49ers front office for your likely first Super Bowl.

For one thing, the 49ers didn’t trade Garoppolo for Brown, though I wish they had. That would have been an even bigger steal for the 49ers. Let’s also bring up the fact that, there was nothing to suggest that Jimmy Garoppolo was somehow “injury prone” prior to the trade. If anyone seems more likely to have issues staying healthy, it would be the big OT who can’t seem to keep himself in any kind of decent shape during the offseason. Sure, he’s having a pretty good year in NE (Pro Football Focus graded him an average 66.9 – good, not great), and it’s a much better fit. But McGlinchey still had a better year, and he was a rookie. Plus, it’s not a coincidence that the 49ers running game improved DRAMATICALLY with McGlinchey in the lineup instead of Brown. In a few weeks, Trent Brown is going to be a free agent. With their promising young OT Isaiah Wynn coming back, let’s see if the Patriots even want to pony up for a player they know has chronic issues with conditioning and overeating. I doubt they will.

I beg to differ. Now that Baalke is gone, he might want to return, because Denise York really likes him. Paraag is still here, but he has been controlled and neutralized by JL, so he will not pose a threat or leak smears again.
.
Sure, he will not become HC again, but Tomsula was D line coach, and could return in that capacity.
.
I also like Bryant Young, so he may be another good option.
.
If Tomsula wants to come back to flee the dysfunctional Washington situation, he may be seen as a good coach and possible asset for the team. KS may not want him, but Denise owns the team. Jed would also have to be consulted, but he will not strongly oppose his mother.

So far, 116 underclassmen have declared for the draft. Even if a third of them do not get drafted, that leaves around 80 players who will be blue chip talents. Add another 80 seniors, and that would make 160 players with blue chip talent.
.
One the draft value chart, round 5 ends at 159. That might mean that the Niners could possibly find a starter even in the 5th round.
.
The trade back strategy may be the best course of action, but there needs to be the proper circumstances and a willing trade partner for it to be achieved. Thankfully, there are many QB starved teams and few high end prospects, so one team may want to give up a boat load of picks to move up and select the QB they covet. Kyler Murray is another intriguing prospect, with his Heisman and 4.38 speed.
.
Joey Bosa may have just lowered his brother’s draft value, by getting shut down in this latest loss. Still, this draft is deep in pass rushing talent, so maybe the best strategy would be to select a couple later first or early second round prospects, so there are 2 chances of striking gold, instead of putting all your eggs in one basket, or player.
.
Tomorrow is the dead line, so many more prospects could declare. Rebuilding through the draft helped teams like the Seahawks, who had to rebuild the defense,and traded back multiple times to stockpile picks in the 5th round. The Colts moved back, and got 3 picks in the second round. Both teams had question marks, but both teams made it to the playoffs. Giants, Jax, Lions, Bengals, Dolphins and Skins could all want the best QB in the draft. Even the Raiders, TB, Denver and Buffalo may want to upgrade their QB. The Niners have many options.

Elway also had a chance to acquire Colin Kaepernick in 2016, but Elway wanted the former 49ers starter to drop his guaranteed pay for that season. Kaepernick declined, and then when he became a free agent the following year Elway wasn’t interested, for obvious reasons (even though Elway tried to claim it was because Kaepernick had his chance to join the team the prior offseason and passed).

Calling it now. The NFL is desperate to build a fan base in Los Angeles. The Saints game will be one of the most 1 sided officiating in history. Saints should expect that every single call will go against them.

Seb, the tin foil premise here is the League is colluding ( conspiring, if you wish) with the Patriots (and other teams) at the expense of others. The Patriots certainly paid the League sanctioned price for those transgressions you identified.

And Houston, if the League was so intent on building that LA fan base, it certainly showed in all those calls in the favor of the Chargers yesterday, no?

Let’s just say my opinion of officiating is like Obama’s opinion of same sex marriage. My opinion has evolved. I would be the last guy in the world you would have ever thought would blame a loss on officiating. After watching absolutely terrible officiating over the past few years I am wondering if the NFL has a problem. I don’t necessarily think NFL officials walk into games with direction on who should win. I do think the NFL knows which officials are advantageous to which teams. Do they take market considerations into account when they assign officials? I don’t know. You tell me. Watch the Saints game this weekend and see if it looks like the Rams are getting all the calls.

I understand your point a lot more after this explanation and I’m not saying the officiating is great. It is very bad at times, but I don’t think there is any concerted effort to favor one team over another and the numbers support it for the most part. The biggest problem the league has in terms of officiating is that too many calls are based on what they think they see instead of what they do. The focus should always be on calling blatant and obvious infractions and not looking for a reason to throw the flag. Some crews call a game that way and some don’t. Not sure how they fix it but it needs to be looked at.

Didn’t have any impact on the game but Chris Jones of the Chiefs was getting away with murder on Quentin Nelson. Jones had several hands to the face where he literally grabbed the bottom of Nelson’s facemask and pushed his head to the sky. He had even more instances where he started his arm on Nelson’s chest and pushed up so that Jones forearm was under Nelson’s chin with his face pointed straight up. This happened directly in front of the official responsible for watching the interior line play. IMO, that gets called early and often if that game is anywhere outside of KC. I think the Ref swallowed his flag because they were in KC. That kind of crap is what needs to get cut out of officiating.

I’d have to rewatch the game and see if I agree with your assessment, but the only illegal hands to the face call made in the game came against the KC OL so there certainly wasn’t any favoritism toward the Chiefs in this area. The Colts defense was really undisciplined in this game as the majority of penalties called against them were for being offside.

Not sure on the Pats. They always get calls and I can’t figure out why. I think coaching to the edge of the rules and the refs respect/intimidation of Belichick is part of it. BB gets more calls than Jordan ever dreamed of getting.

Sure looked that way to me. When there were a few incomplete passes on third down, and the refs called ticky tacky fouls to extend the Pats drives.
.
Just goes to show how easy it is for the officiating to be able to help determine the outcome of the game.
.
Guess who Kraft is big friends with.

After the game was out of the Charger’s reach. That first half was all Patriots.
.
In the first half, it was as if the Pats knew what the Chargers play was before the snap of the ball. In the second half, it was as if they wised up and became less transparent, but by then, it was too late.
.
Those second half calls were make up calls to placate the Charger fans, and make it look less lopsided.

I had not commented on the Trent Brown situation, but it is not wise to help a perennial SB contender get a much needed LT to protect their franchise QB. Why help them possibly win another title?
.
Remember, this trade happened quickly after the Niners drafted McGlinchey, so this trade was developed before the draft started.
.
Sure, it was payback for BB trading JG to the Niners when he possibly could have gotten 2 first round picks from the Browns. However, when one deals with BB, one should expect him to get the better of the deal. At the time of the JG trade, BB was expecting the Niners would have the 33rd pick in the draft, so it would have been like a late first round pick. Luckily, JG won thos last 5 games which made the pick the 9th in the second round.
.
So, I guess rocket is happy the Niners are helping the Pats possibly win another title. I am not.

Seb for once in your time here use some common sense. If you have a player who doesn’t fit what you want to do and is going to need to be resigned within a year you trade him for the best return you can get. That’s what they did. At the time Brown’s worth was not high coming off of injury and there is no evidence that they did Belichick a favor for getting JG as is the latest fictional tale around here. Belichick traded Garoppolo because he was going to lose him at the end of the season. Period. It had nothing to do with favors or expectations after the trade was made. It was a business deal that they had to make if they wanted to get more than a 3rd round compensatory pick when he signed somewhere else. Just look at the facts that are there and stop making up your own and maybe you’ll get a little more respect around here.

Rocket, I just am a fan of the game, and call it as I see it.
.
You want to defend a serial cheater.
.
BB also traded DEVY to the Niners, so the Niners were patsies once again, and taken advantage of. Sure, Brown was a question mark, but he was also graded out as one of the best pass protectors in the game, and the Pats were desperate to protect Brady.
.
BB made a correct assessment of TB. KS determined that TB did not fit his scheme. He also traded up to get CJB and lobbied JL to trade up for Joe Williams, a player not on JL’s and many other team’s draft boards. KS also determined that Hoyer was a superior QB to Kaep, and CJB was the best QB in the building. Too bad Hoyer pulled a Gabbert and benched himself. Too bad Mullens was in the equipment shed and not in the building.
.
In making deals, it is better that the Niners consumate win/win deals. This deal, the Pats won, and the Niners lost.
.
Respect? From you? I invite your scorn.

This is why you don’t get any respect and are mocked by pretty much everybody on here. You can’t stay on point and go into tired old retread statements because your opinions are not backed up by facts or logic.

Once again, I invite your scorn.
.
You do not respect me, but just think about what I think about you. A toady for the league, who thinks they are above reproach, when some think the games are unwatchable, due to the blatant bias.
.
The officiating needs to be reformed, and they should start by having full time refs.

With the magic of replay, the ref threw the flag on a ticky tacky holding judgement away from the ball on the other side of the field, which resulted in converting the failed third down into a first and 10. This happened at least twice. I do not think the Patriots received a penalty in the first half.

The Pats were called for a false start in the first half. The Chargers were called for two delay of game penalties, a pass interference and a hold. So in other words they got called for two penalties in the entire half that were not presnap and both were legit. The officiating didn’t favor anybody. The Pats just dominated the Chargers from the first snap of the game.

Both were not legit, and the refs did not call a possible PI on the Pats. If that PI on the Chargers was legit, the PI on the Pats should have been called, too. The Chargers were incensed, and rightfully so.
.
One could look at the gaping holes for the RBs, and see possible holding calls on the Pats that the refs were blind to. It is very easy for the refs to determine the outcome of the game. That holding call was incidental in contact, and away from the pass play.

Smh. They were legit and the Chargers had 5 penalties called against them the entire game; 3 of which were presnap. Officiating played no part in the result of that game. It was a one sided beat down that needed no outside help and didn’t receive any.

Go get Antonio Brown! Don’t mess around. Do what it takes to get him. Jerry Rice approves that’s good enough for me. Leave the #2 pick out of the trade. A second rnd pick and a first next year I don’t care. AB makes the Niners a contender with a healthy JG.

I’m not opposed to it, but I wouldn’t do it. He’s over 30, expensive and is a problem in the locker room. I’d rather continue developing the receivers we have as some took a big step forward this season, and draft one to add to the depth chart. This team has receiving weapons. They just need to stay healthy.

He’s due 15.125 mill this year so not cheap imo. The next two years are reasonable, but ask yourself how willing he is to play for them.

As I said, I’m not opposed to bringing him in, but if I had to make a choice, I wouldn’t do it. There are some red flags here – his performance numbers were down across the board in every category except TD’s which could mean some regression is starting to set in – and potential for locker room discord that isn’t worth it considering we have some good receivers on the roster already along with an all pro TE. Combine that with the fact it would take the second round pick minimum to get him and I don’t see a great case for bringing him in.

This is a tough one. Great player, but a bad attitude. And 30+ year old skill position players don’t improve over time. His numbers are already on the decline.

I’m with rocket, I wouldn’t trade a high pick for him. At this point in his career there is a real chance he’s more a stop gap than long term dominant player. A team ready to win a SB should be willing to trade a high pick for him. My guess is he ends up at the Patriots next season.

More “stop gap” rationale? Isn’t that what Dick Charmin is? Plus, Pettis could learn from him and I don’t consider a 2nd round pick high for a player of that caliber. Especially when you consider we traded one for an unproven quarterback….

Sherman was a FA and played a position we had gaping holes to fill. He’s also a good locker room guy and is willing to teach the young players. Brown on the other hand is not a good locker room guy, constantly complains and I would guess is not overly interested in anything other than his personal stats.

If we are looking at it as purely a move to make the receiving corps better, then yes you are correct he would be a good addition. The problem is there are more things to consider like how much better will he make us? He and Pettis would be playing the same position I would imagine, so what do you do with Pettis? Then there is the negative effect he can have on the team if he’s not getting enough targets which manifested itself a few times in Pittsburgh. As far as cost, we don’t know what it will take but the rumor is the Steelers are asking for a 1st round pick so even if they come down on the asking price, it’s likely a 2nd plus.

I won’t complain if it happens, but I just don’t see it as the best way to improve the team. I’d rather use the picks and acquire more if possible, along with adding some key defensive pieces in FA.

“This guy, man, he’s a totally, complete team player,” Rice said. “I don’t know what happened in Pittsburgh but I know that this guy, if he comes here to San Francisco, he’s going to do everything possible to help this team to win.”

He’s a no go for me.
We would be footing a hefty bill for past production given his age and career trajectory.
Not to mention the fact that he flat out quit on his team… this is not even a Joey Bosa situation where he was hoping to get paid in the future. He did this in playoff game… TO had a better team attitude in my mind.

It seems the Steelers are willing to trade Brown for a second round pick. I think the Niners would only have to give up their second rounder to get Brown, especially since it is a high second round pick. I heard the Jerry Rice interview driving my wife to a doctor’s appointment, and have to admit it does sound intriguing. Everything I’ve heard is that Antonio Brown gives a 110%, will work his butt off, and is competitive as hell, and a lot of his frustration with the Steelers was Tomlin’s favoritism shown toward Roethlisberger. Still, I don’t think that warrants sitting yourself for a game in which your team’s playoff hopes depend. Admit, I’m on the fence, but more due to his age (31). Wouldn’t bemoan a move either way.

We are talking about the best Wr in the game. He is turning 31 this coming season. He has 4 great years left. Look how good Boldin aged and he is not half the player AB is. This is a no brainer: This would make our offense top 3 in the NFL easily. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. Especially draft picks. AB is Elite that’s a guarantee. Makes way too much sense.

I just think JL does not want the risk of bringing in some one that may upset the locker room dynamics. He would get excoriated if it blows up in his face. AB, while talented, has a red flag.
.
If AB is so valuable, why has no other team presented a proposal? Is the interest high? or will the Steelers think about moving on from BR, and retain AB. Also, possibly bring back Bell, but also Pay da Man. Steelers are not too happy they did not make the playoffs this last season.
.
It would hurt the Steelers with dead money of 21 mil. That may be a tenth of their salary cap. They are assuming they will find a decent replacement for 15 mil, bringing the hit down to 6 mil, but that is improbable, where elite WRs are coveted. None of the FA WRs will command 15 mil. They all have flaws. The best recourse is to reconcile their differences, and let him lead the team back into the playoffs. Easier said than done.
.
The obvious destination is the Raiders, since they need a replacement for Cooper. However, Gruden let Mack and Cooper go, so he may go younger. Heck, they may really screw up, and AB ends up on the Ravens, and gets to play the Steelers twice a year. I hear they want to improve the WRs.

Looks like the Colts are the logical destination. They have Luck, and a ton of cap space.
.
Hayne? Yes, I was pulling for the underdog. Too bad his ST coach did not coach him to let a bad punt to drop, so he tried to catch it.

While I like Jimmy G a lot, he isn’t nearly as good at throwing the deep ball as Big Ben (at least not yet). I don’t have the stats handy, but it seems like AB’s highlight reel includes the bombs that he catches. I don’t know, I might be wrong on this.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter had reported that the Broncos were denied permission but evidently something changed. Primarily a coach at small colleges, Scangarello has never called plays or coordinated an offense at the NFL level.

Like everyone else, my concern about A. Brown is his attitude. before I traded for him I would suggest the Niners get permission to bring him out here so they and some of the players can meet with him and they can show him the area. If they are not 90% certain he will fit in, then stay away from him. If the Steelers won’t permit this, then let it go.
The Niners do not need another T.O. situation. They have a young team and they do not need a vet. creating problems and upsetting the culture they are trying to built.
I do want to point out something else that maybe going around. The Steelers are having serious problem with two of their best players; Bell and Brown. Is it solely the players fault or is there an institutional problem developing in Pittsburg? Or is a combination of the two, or something completely different; (The Spanish Inquisition for example, which no one expects).

True, but this is why the 49ers are adding him. From from an article by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press on January 18, 2018:

Kocurek is well regarded across the league for his work with pass rushers.

During his nine seasons with the Lions, he helped develop star players like Suh, Cliff Avril and Ziggy Ansah, and also get career years out of lesser-known players like Kerry Hyder, George Johnson and Devin Taylor.

Perhaps Razor, but why not look at the big picture for crying out loud!

Kris Kocurek became the Lions DL coach in 2010 and over the course of his 8 seasons with the Lions, the team ranked 4th in sacks by a defensive line with 222, 2nd in tackles for loss by a defensive line (344), 2nd in forced fumbles (53), and 1st in quarterback hits (544).

WOWZA!!!!

“These numbers highlight Kocurek’s ability to coach, teach and motivate, and anyone who’s ever witnessed him at practice understands the intensity he brings. Fired up, hat on backwards, barking at his players. He seems to have the ideal mix – respect from the players to go along with an ability to teach the technical aspect of the position.”

Great hire … which means it’s time to cue the pessimism from the usual niggly band of jealous, hypercritical, crybaby ShanaLynch haters.

It’s a no brainer to acquire him if it involved 2 second rnd picks. This is a hall of fame Wr in his prime. He had 15 TDS this past year. He would be incredible with Kyle. Our franchise QB deserves a franchise changing Wr that wants to be here. I trust the Goat Jerry Rice on this. Make this happen lynch. Niners would become instant contenders. 31 years old is nothing. 4 very strong years ahead of him. 4 years in the NFL is a long time.

They also have JJ Watt and Clowney and a host of other players. We are not one player away from being an instant contender and that was the point. If you look at Hopkins he still doesn’t make Houston an instant contender. They had to build around him.

That’s where you are wrong. You get AB and some defensive pieces in free agency and the draft. You are immediately a SB contender. Forget about the next 9 years. Kyle, Lynch and JG might not even be here anymore. Worrie about the next 3-5 years. This is a no brainer.

This season the offense went through 3 QB’s, 5 RB’s and played multiple games without their top 3 WR’s together and slot receiver recovering from back surgery and still finished in the middle of the pack in total offense and 21st in points scored. What they need most offensively is health. Adding another WR would be good, but they don’t need Brown imo. There will be options in the draft that make more sense. I’m not against adding a vet WR in FA, but giving up picks for Brown is unnecessary imo. Most of the FA and draft focus needs to be on the defense.

Absolutely they did. They probably just tipped there hand on that. With his old D line coach along with his old GM I would say they will go after him. Since the other premier edge rushers won’t make free agency he will. Adding Him with Bosa or Allen would be a big improvement.

I think Thomas is a lock in FA.
Brown is about 50/50 IMO
Allen more than likely gone if they trade back. And with Murray coming out now, I’m sure the price of the number 2 went up with 4 teams desperate for a QB.

Ross Pierschbacher Is a kid I like. Hoping he makes it to the 3rd. It wouldn’t bother me if they beefed up the o-line with the second either.
I also like Bars from ND. Team him up with Mcglinchy would be nice, ND has brought out some studs on the O-line lately.
Tap that well till it’s dry.

You must have gotten into Sebbie’s happy stash because Thomas isn’t a lock (he specifically asked Dallas to come get him), AB is not 50/50 except in our minds. He will go where the money and opportunities are good and we may not even make a play for him.

Already people here are putting the cart before the horse. Heard a lot of the same at the end of last year and how did that work out? Injuries may still be an issue next year. Let’s just wait and see.

So the guy who recommended Mullens is meeting with the team that immediately needs a QB, — interesting. Especially as it was initially denied from happening and now is permitted by the FO. Mullens and a second or third for Von Miller?

Yup, there have been a few blockbuster multi player deals. However, it is pretty common in baseball and basketball. They had a 5 player deal, which was essentially a third of the team. If translated to the football squad, that would have been 17 players.
.
Remember, on any given year, there is usually a third to a fifth of the team being replaced each year. The Niners had over half their team turned over in 2017. Only 2 players are left from that SB team, Staley and Celek.

Scangarello may be hired as OC, and I bet he would consider Mullens to be far superior to Keenum.
.
Niners should think outside the box and bundle them to get as high a draft pick or picks as possible.

Glad they filled the D line coach position with Kocurek, he does sound like a savvy veteran with a good history. Tomsula was just a pipe dream, but crazier things have happened.
.
Wonder if that means they will push for Ziggy Ansah. Martin Mayhew might like Kocurek and Ansah together.
.
I hope they gave Bryant Young at least an interview. Maybe D line assistant is a possibility.
.
Now, I wonder who they have interviewed for the DB Coach position.
.
Hope they allow the Mikes to interview.

With Mike LaFleur, there are several OC candidates with more experience than Mike, but I bet Matt’s mother lobbied for her youngest son. Even if he did not get the job, Mike would have that interview on his resume, and probably benefited from the experience.
.
They certainly would not have interviewed you, Cassie. The stench of Baalke would permeate the locker room, and snide asides are so boring and predictable. They want innovative strategies, not Troglodyte thinking.

Was perusing the Mile High Report, and they think Scangarello is going to be the OC.
.
Maybe Elway got to interview Scangarello because he also wanted Mullens, who soundly out played Keenum last season. They desperately want to move on from Keenum.
.
GM does look accurate, and the Washington State team beat some good opponents. He would be well worth a 6th round pick.
.
I do trust JG, and hope he stays healthy.

Me neither man..I think Mullens will end up being better in the long run.Garappolo did not look good at all this year before he got hurt..I’m starting to think we got smoked on that trade.It tends to be a theme with this regime..All the trades they’ve made people including myself were praising them for they now look on the losing end of

He’s just made some questionable moves. At first I thought dating a porn star wasn’t a big deal, but it kinda is. Successful QBs don’t hang out with women that have been marching in the dong parade. He was also dancing on stage with Nelly in Vegas. Stud QBs don’t do that. That’s kid stuff. He needs to mature. Nick Mullens is way more emotionally mature than Jimmy G.

How better to end a relationship than to be seen with a porn star. It was a one night thing. At least he did not sneak her into the team hotel, on the road…..
.
JG was just chillin’ with Sherman, his team mate.
.
JG is the franchise QB, and I hope he will lead the Niners to the playoffs, next season.

137.5 mil is what a franchise QB is worth. Not too many others earn that much.
.
We have not seen him with her since, so it was just a learning experience.
.
Of course, he cannot off road, ride motorcycles, surf, Ski, box, wrestle, rock climb, bungee jump, Sky dive or scuba dive, but it says nothing about attending concerts. ;p

Scott Mitchell made a ton of money, but he wasn’t a franchise QB . Just because you have a ton of money, doesn’t make you a franchise QB.

He dated that porn star in a very public setting, with other athletes and a ton of press. There’s other ways to break up, and quite frankly it says that he’s petty if he used the high profile moment to rub it in his ex’s face by dating a whore.

Scott Mitchell had an 11 year career, played on 4 different teams and was certainly the franchise QB for the Lions. He started 99 games and threw for almost 16 k yards.
.
Ton of press? I saw 2 pictures of them having dinner, with no implications that she did any performances afterwards. After being chastised by everyone, JG has not repeated his mistake.
.
Whore? No she is a famous adult entertainment video expert. ;p
.
I wish they could get a boatload of picks for Mullens, but after his last 2 games, probably not.

No, no, JR flamed out spectacularly. He was the number one pick in the draft, was anointed the franchise QB, but his career lasted only 3 years.
.
I certainly do not think JG will follow JR. If JG can stay healthy, he will be the franchise QB for many years. JR had a QBR of 50 his last season after throwing 3 TDs and 11 picks. They would give JR blank tapes, and ask if he had studied the film. JR would say yes, and they knew he was lying. JG would never do that, because he knows what it takes to win a ring. That is because he has 2 rings.
.
And no, I do not waste my time watching nattering nabobs like Skip, Whit, Colin or SA.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Inside the 49ers: Grant Cohn

I cover the San Francisco 49ers year-round for The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa. Argue with me, agree with me, or just read the posts and follow the conversation. I've been a contributor to several other regional and national sports websites, and I also write two online columns a week for pressdemocrat.com, which are posted on this site as well.